Protector of Men Ch 72

Meeting the rest of Stotte's crew was to Zandra, a never-ending awkward moment. She tried to smile while shaking their hands, but their grinning stares were disconcerting. So too, were the comments such as:

"So you're the One?"

"I can't believe you defeated those agents!"

"That's some crazy stuff."

And she kept smiling her fake smile the whole way through, images of Stephen and Kemp flashing through her mind every few seconds. Soon it was over though, and things quieted down. She and Cover and Shade had to share a room together; Kesia and Trim were in one, and Alias slept in a room with two other women from Stotte. Aegir had been right: it was a tight fit. But he was also right in that it was only two days, though for Zandra it was excruciatingly longer.

It was the morning of the second day; Zandra, Cover, and Shade all lay in the small room together, resisting the silent mandate to get up for the day. They all looked up at the ceiling as they talked to one another, for it was much easier to speak when there was no one to talk to.

"Why, exactly, did we go after Neo?"

"It's a long story," Zandra answered, looking more towards Shade's direction. "He's got information that can lead us to the end."

"The end?"

Zandra looked toward Cover's area, close to her own. Shade was on the floor as well as Cover; Zandra had graciously agreed to take the one lonely bed in the room.

"I think he knows how to destroy the matrix."

"The Oracle can help us with that,"

Zandra didn't say anything, and Cover sensed her reaction.

"She saved our lives, Zandra," he told her, "I think she knows more than you credit her for."

Zandra didn't respond again, and Cover dropped the subject. They were all quiet again, and pretended to sleep.

A few minutes later they heard a loud rap on the door; three times slowly.

"Come in," said Cover. They all sat up where they previously lay. Aegir's face soon appeared behind the door, a grin masked as stoicism on his rigid guise.

"Cover," he said, his grin turning pure for a moment, "A captain deserves much better lodging than this."

Cover shrugged, and adeptly avoided a glance at Zandra and Shade. "I'm fine with what I'm given," he offered. Aegir shook his head.

"No, no," he continued, "That's not necessary. I've got plenty of room in my quarters – and I'm sure Zandra and Shade wouldn't mind a little more room to move around in."

There was a slight pause, and Cover shrugged again.

"If you insist," he answered quietly.

"Come on," Aegir reiterated, gesturing for Cover to get up, "We'll move your stuff." Zandra could hear him mention something along the lines of a 'new defense mode' as he steered Cover out of the room, and couldn't help from smiling.

Zandra and Shade looked at each other; silence now pervaded the walls. Zandra broke her gaze and looked around. Stotte felt so different from Purgatory; just… different. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes.

"So," Shade sighed, looking up to the ceiling, "Back to Zion."

"Yeah," Zandra replied, an equally weary sigh. Shade rubbed his neck; the ground was cruelly hard, and becoming painful to lie on. Zandra didn't notice. Slowly she retreated back into her own mind; the real world was continually becoming more hostile.

Kemp was dead. Zandra's mind kept running through the circular pattern of realization every few minutes, a new wave of guilt washing over each time. She remembered so long ago, when Kemp had been taken out of the matrix, how Zandra had been glad to have someone aboard that had less hair than her… less experience…

She remembered her obnoxious mouth… how she spouted profanity off like it were a sentence-enhancer, not an exclamation. It was annoying then, Zandra admitted, but she viewed it now as more of a welcome change from the regular unsettling quiet of the ship. Strange how someone's death changes memories.

She remembered how Kemp had helped during her captivity in Zion… going off to find Cover – or was it Shade? She couldn't remember her complaining about anything; she accepted the real world as it came.

Just like Stephen, Kemp was another casualty of war. Just another statistic.

Trim sat silently in another room with Kesia. He faced the wall, his knees up at his chest, attempting to mourn silently. Kemp had been more than just the 'new recruit' to him – she was his closest friend. They had a connection, a similar weakness that they were able to bond by, and now that bond, that connection, was missing. They would no more have quiet conversations in the halls of Purgatory, no more of the uncommon cheerfulness that Trim had lately found. Kemp, his kindred spirit, had died. And he had seen it happen.

Graciously, Kesia was ignoring him. She too had been affected by Kemp's sudden departure – she had to watch her leave through the bay doors, resolute, with EMP in hand… and she never came back. Their newest recruit was gone – next would be Shade. Kesia couldn't help thinking that the cycle would never end. First Tevy, then Kemp… and though she felt guilty afterwards, Kesia couldn't help feeling thankful that she was an operator. She sat on the bed at the other corner of the room, staring at her crossed feet. They hadn't said anything since they got to the room; there was nothing to be said. They both needed time.

Alias felt grateful more than anything else. Though she was embarrassed to bunk in a room with the two other women of Stotte's crew, she was polite. Kemp's death reiterated a fact that Alias had rarely pondered upon: though she was permanently injured, she was alive. And though she'd never be able to go back into the matrix, she could help in other places. She had proven herself during the storm, and even Cover knew that she would never leave the ship. Yet, now that their ship was destroyed, the only thing left was their common bond. Zandra. Without her, they wouldn't have a cause, there would be nothing to hold them together. And through it all, Alias learned to appreciate life more, though painful it was. And though she was generally quiet around the strangers, she couldn't ignore their imploring questions about the One.

"What's it like working with her?" One girl asked, Kiska. She had short blonde hair, significantly shorter than that of Zandra herself. She had to be recently unplugged.

"I don't know," Alias answered frankly, "I really don't have anything to compare to."

The two nodded in feigned understanding.

"What can she do?" asked the otherl, whom Alias later knew as Skylark. Unlike Kiska, Sky had long black hair, and penetrating eyes.

"A lot," Alias answered. They still watched her, waiting for more.

"She's really fast," she continued, pulling the facts out of nowhere – for no one had cared to really number Zandra's talents… "She's basically flown before. It's like she's got a complete hold of it."

Again the two girls nodded, and soon became quiet. Alias was finding it easier to open up to others, especially when she could revert to being the more experienced one again.

"We heard the Oracle's really behind her," quipped Kiska, obviously the more talkative one of the group. Alias was a little surprised to hear her mention the Oracle – wasn't that just Purgatory's contact?

Kiska detected her confusion.

"Aegir went in to talk to her," she explained, "I think we're going in a few weeks."

Alias nodded; the conversation had gone far enough for her interest. Kemp was still on her mind, and would be for the next few days. Alias didn't envy her death, didn't envy the help that Kemp was able to give (even if it was at the expense of her life). She felt like something had been proven during those long hours. Alias was finally able to hold her own, and Purgatory now recognized it. Perhaps she'd be one of the crew again.

A few hours later Aegir came onto the PA system again. Some were awoken by the sound, others were already awake.

"Alright," he announced, his voice booming through the metal walls of the ship's hull, "We're about an hour away from final descent."

Zandra sighed and pulled herself up in the small bed that she and Shade now shared, attempting to keep the sheets from moving too much. She looked over to his side and saw that he too was awake.

"So when do we go back in?" he asked, looking at the wall.

"I don't know."

"I think we'll be in Zion for a while," he pondered, answering his own question.

"Yeah."

He sighed loudly, wearily.

"What?" Zandra asked, looking over at him.

"It's just…"

Silence. Zandra could hear people begin to move about the ship outside their small room.

"What?" She asked again.

"I still, I just don't know why,"

"Why…?"

"Why we went. Just… I don't know."

"What is it always for?" Zandra replied, a little shocked.

"I know, I know," he breathed, now looking at the ceiling, "It's just hard to see a connection."

"I know," Zandra answered back. There was a long pause.

"You think Cover'll rehire anyone?" she asked.

"I don't know."

Another pause, then he answered quietly: "I don't think anyone would come."

"They would."

This time it was Zandra's turn to sigh again.

"You know why Cover's sending me to assigns?"

"No," he answered lazily, putting his hand under his head.

"Hm," she replied, followed by a pause, "I guess I'll go tomorrow,"

"Yeah," he answered, "That sounds good."

"Hey Shade?"

"Yeah."

"What are we supposed to do?"

Silence; Shade had fallen back asleep.

A/N – I wonder, was it because Zandra felt bad for poor Shade and his aching neck, or was it…

Aqua_Phoenix1 – maha! I just got reloaded on dvd and have been watching it ever since. I love dorky Keanu.

Silver Dragon, Iron Claws – thanks! Ravaged will take a long time to do though – I haven't even planned it all out yet.

MicroChips – One last post?

Alocin – oooh yeah, those fun room assignments…

Zuma – Ok, I won't tell you. But I do have that planned.